Adjustable length garment

ABSTRACT

This garment construction, intended primarily for skirts, provides adjustment of the length of the garment. An outer portion of the skirt folds upward at its bottom edge and connects with lining material above it to form an inner portion of the skirt. The lower region of the lining can be lifted and attached, by detachable fastening means, to an upper region of the lining, and this rolls part of the outer portion around the lower edge so that the skirt becomes shorter. When the detachable fastening means are released, the parts fall back to their original positions with the fold or &#39;&#39;&#39;&#39;hem&#39;&#39;&#39;&#39; at a lower level.

'United'States Patent Orovan May 30, 1972 [54] ADJUSTABLE LENGTH GARMENT 3,230,545 1/1966 Galley ..2 74 [72] Inventor: Alice Orovan, Olcott Hotel, 27 West 72nd Primary Examiner H Hampton Hunter street New York [0023 Att0rne vSandoe, Hopgood & Calimafde 22 Filed: July 30, 1970 [57] ABSTRACT 2| Appl. No.: 59,628 H lhls garment construction, intended pr|mar|ly for skirts, provides adjustment of the length of the garment. An outer por- |52| us. (.I ..2/74, 2/21 1. 2/269 li n f the skirt folds upward at its bottom edge and connects 5 (:1, d o 4 1 14 with lining material above it to form an inner portion of the 5 Field f Search 2 21 1, 2 7 70 73 74 75 skirt. The lower region of the lining can be lifted and attached,

. 2 5 97 2 9 272 47 by detachable fastening means, to an upper region of the lining, and this rolls part of the outer portion around the lower l References Cited edge so that the skirt becomes shorter. When the detachable fastening means are released, the parts fall back to their UNITED S S PATENTS original positions with the fold or hem" at a lower level.

3,] l 1,68] l 1/1963 Nelson et al. ..2/74 X I 9 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMAY 3 0 I972 INVENTOR M Q MM ATTORNEYS.

ADJUSTABLE LENGTH GARMENT BACKGROUND AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The utility of a garment can be increased if its lengthcan be adjusted to suit it for wear on different occasions. This is particularly true of skirts where a greater length is more appropriate for evening wear and shorterlength may be desired for daytime use. To be practical, however, it must be possible to make such changes in the length quickly and conveniently. This invention provides a skirt which has anunpressed rolling hem" that permits changes in length to be effected by fastening or unfastening detachable means, such as a slide fastener, that remain permanently connected with an inner portion or lining of the skirt. The outer portion of the skirt extends downward to a fold that forms the bottom edge of the skirt, and the material then extends upward to form an inner portion of the skirt. This inner portion connects-with the inside of the skirt, or other garment, at the waist or at some other location with connecting stitching or other connecting means that are not visible from the outside or that do not present an objectionable appearance.

The inner portion forms, in effect, a lining for the skirt; and most of the length of this lining is made of material that is thinner and more pliant than the outer portion. This lining has an upper region and a lower region that are preferably of onepiece construction and that hang straight down when the skirt is of maximum length. The detachable fastening means, preferably a slide fastener,- has one end connected to the upper region and the other end connected to the lower region at a level substantially below the upper side of the fastener when the skirt is long. The lower side of the slide fastener is lifted to raise the lower region of the lining with respect to the upper region and with respect to the outer portion of the skirt. This causes the lower part of the outer portion to roll around the fold at the bottom of the skirt and to become part of the inner portion; and the bottom edge rises by a distance equal to one half of the distance that the lower side of the slide fastener is raised. When the fastener is closed, the skirt is held with its lower edge at a higher level to give the new length.

Features of the invention relate to the connecting of the detachable fastening means with the inner portion of the garment; to the location of the fastening means; and to connections of the different parts of the garment and their relation with one another. The invention will be described as applied to a skirt, but it will be understood that it can be applied to the individual legs of pants or to other parts of garments.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will appear or be pointed out as the description proceeds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWING DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENT FIG. 1 shows a dress having a skirt 10 which is connected with the upper portion of the dress along a top edge 12 of the skirt. The dress shown in FIG. 1 is a long-waisted dress. The invention can be used with other dresses but has some special advantages with long-waisted dresses, as will be explained more fully.

The skirt 10 has an outer portion .14 which extends which the material is folded back on itself and connects with a lining of the skirt, which will be explained more fully in connection with FIGS. 3 and 4. There is a slide fastener 18 connected to the lining of the skirt. This slide fastener has an upper .part 20 and a lower part 22 which are completely separable from one another and which are sewed to the lining of the skirt along lines substantially parallel to the bottom edge 16. The slide fastener 18 extends around the circumference of the skirt along lines that are substantially parallel to the bottom edge 16.

Completely separable slide fasteners are well known in the dress art and no description of the slide fastener is necessary for a complete understanding of this invention.

The slide fastener 18 is accessible by turning the bottom edge 16 of the skirt outwardly and upwardly so as to expose the lining. The actual circumferential extent of each part 20 and 22 of the slide fastener is slightly less than the circumference of the dress lining so that there is a gap 26 between the ends of the fastener and these gaps, located in vertical alignment with one another, are long enough to receive a slider 30 so that the slider can be aligned with the circumferential extent of the parts of the slide fastener when they are brought together as shown in FIG. 2.

It is convenient to have the gap 26 located at the front and toward the right of the skirt so that the starting of the slider on the upper and lower parts of the slide fastener can be conveniently performed with the right-hand and with the gap 26 in front of the right leg. The way in which the connection of the upper part 20 and the lower part 22 of the slider change the length of the skirt and raise the bottom edge 16 to a new level 16', will be evident from a comparison of FIGS. 3 and 4.

FIG. 3 shows the construction of the skirt with the parts in the positions which they occupy when the skirt is hanging at its maximum length. The material of the outer portion 14 extends downwardly to the fold at the bottom edge 16 and then folds back on itself and extends upwardly to a connection with a lining of other material 34 which is preferably lighter and more pliant than the material of the outer portion 14 of the skirt. By way of example, the outer portion of the skirt may be made of -wool jersey, soft wools, or silk jersey. The material 34 of the inner portion may be silk or synthetic substitutes for silk. These materials are given merely by way of illustration.

In describing the construction, all of the skirt inside the outer portion 14 and above the lower edge 16 including the part that constitutes the lining of the skirt, will be referred to broadly as the inner portion 36. The material of the outer portion 14, which folds back on itself above the bottom edge 16 forms, therefore, part of the inner portion of the skirt and when the bottom edge 16 is at a higher level, as indicated by the reference character 16 in FIG. 4, it will be apparent that more of the material from the outer portion 14 is folded back to form part of the inner portion.

Referring again to FIG. 3, the material 34 is connected to the material which is folded back from the outer portion by a connection 38 comprising a line of stitching which is preferably a single line and an open seam. The ends of the material beyond the connection 38 can be pressed in the same direction, as shown in FIG. 3, or in opposite directions, as is a common practice with open seams.

Some distance above the connection 38, the lower part 22 of the slide fastener 18 is attached to the material 34 by a connection 40 which is preferably a single line of stitching. In the preferred construction, the cloth tab of the lower part 22 of the slide fastener extends downwardly from the connection 40. This makes the lower part of the slide fastener hang better so that it does not interfere with the flexibility of the skirt.

At a level some distance above the lower part 22 of the slide fastener, the lining material 34 is stitched along a line of stitching42 to form a pleat 44 which hangs downward from the stitching 42, and the upper part 20 of the slide fastener 18 is secured to the pleat 44 by a connection 46, which is preferably stitching. The cloth tabs of the slide fastener can be attached to the lining of the skirt by means other than stitching if desired; but stitching has the advantage of providing greater flexibility for the garment.

The lining extends upward, above the pleat 44, to the upper end 12 of the skirt where it is connected with the garment by a connection 50, preferably stitching.

In explaining the operation of the detachable fastening means for adjusting the length of the skirt, the inner portion of the skirt, which includes the material from the top edge 12 down to the stitching 38 and the material below the stitching 38 down to the bottom edge 16 or 16', can be considered as divided into an upper region and a lower region. The upper region includes the upper part 20 of the slide fastener, the pleat 44 and the material of the lining from the pleat to the upper end 12 of the skirt. The lower region includes the folded-back material of the outer portion between the bottom edge 16 or 16, the lower part 22 of the slide fastener and all of the lining material 34 from the stitching connection 38 to the juncture of the lower part of the lining with the pleat 44.

When the skirt is to be shortened, the lower part 22 of the slide fastener is turned upward from the stitching connection 40, as shown in FIG. 4. This lower part 22 is then lifted far enough to bring it into position to engage the upper part 20 of the slide fastener. This causes a substantial part of the material 34 of the lining to drop down in a fold below the stitching connection 40, as shown in FIG. 4. The lifting of the stitching connection 38 causes part of the material of the outer portion 14 to roll around the bottom edge of the skirt so that there is more material from the outer portion forming a part of the inner portion below the stitching connection 38. The actual rise in the bottom edge of the skirt from the edge 16 to the edge 16 is equal to one half of the distance that the connection 38 moves upward when the upper and lower parts of the slide fastener are brought together.

The upper and lower parts 20 and 22 of the slide fastener are engaged with one another by running the slider 30 around the circumference of the inner portion of the skirt. The skirt now hangs at its new length and will remain at the shorter length until the slide fastener is operated to disengage the upper and lower parts so that the skirt can drop back from the condition shown in FIG. 4 to the original condition shown in FIG. 3.

The skirt can be made with additional slide fasteners so as to have more than two available lengths but for most skirts two lengths are sufficient for the intended use of a particular design ofskirt.

In the preferred construction there is no connection between the outer portion 14 and the inner portion 36 between the bottom edge and the upper part of the inner portion where it connects with the garment. In the construction illustrated, this connection of the inner portion to the garment is at the upper end 12 of the skirt, but the connection can be made at other levels. Thus any effect of the slide fasteners on the hang of the inner portion does not necessarily affect the hang of the outer portion. It is desirable, however, to have the upper part 20 of the slide fastener located at a level of the skirt which is not permanently in contact with the hips or buttocks of the wearer since the slide fastener can cause an uneven surface of the outer portion of the skirt under such circumstances. However, a wide leeway in the location of the upper portion is available and the skirt can be designed so that a part of the outer portion which would be made uneven by an underlying slide fastener can be covered by a belt or flounce. If the skirt is to be adjusted in length while worn, then it is necessary to have the upper part of the slide fastener far enough below the waist to be easily reached by merely turning up the lower part of the skirt.

The construction illustrated with the upper part of the slide fastener readily accessible by turning the skirt up and still not a part of the skirt that is hanging free of the body of the wearer is somewhat more conveniently obtained in long-waisted dress designs; but the invention is not limited to such designs. In addition to its use for changing the skirt lengths, the invention can be used for the legs of lounging pajamas or other pants legs where a crease is not required at the bottom edge. When the garment of this invention is not in use, it is preferable that it hang with the slide fastener disengaged so that the garment has its maximum length. This prevents the formation of a crease at the bottom edge which, while loose, will show when the length of the garment is extended if the material is one which is likely to acquire a crease by hanging in a folded condition for a substantial length of time.

Although the invention has been described with a slide fastener, and although slide fasteners have proved to be a most practical type of detachable fastening means for the purpose, it will be understood that other detachable fastening means can be used, such as snap fasteners.

The preferred embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, but changes and modifications can be made and some features can be used in different combinations without departing from the invention as described in the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable length garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the garment having a lining secured to said inner portion and extending upward therefrom, a connection securing the lining directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, connecting means including two parts which are separable from one another and which will repeatedly reengage with one another when again brought together, said parts including a first part of the connecting means that is continuously supported from an upper part of the lining on the side facing the wearer, and a second part of the connecting means that is continuously connected with said lining on the side facing the wearer, and supported in a position spaced downward below the first part of said connecting means when the garment is of maximum length, the material of the garment being pliant so that part of the lower end of the garment can bend inward and be moved upwardly when the second part of the connecting means is moved to a raised position and engaged with the first part of the connecting means with the part of the lining that was between the separated connecting means folded down between the outer portion and the rest of the lining whereby the lowermost material of the full length garment is folded inward and upward and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened.

2. The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the garment being a skirt with the lower part of the inner portion a continuation around the fold of the same material as the outer portion.

3. The garment described in claim 2 characterized by the lining material being more pliant than the material of the outer portion of the garment.

4. The garment described in claim 2 characterized by the lining material being sewed to that part of the material of the outer portion that extends around the fold and that constitutes the the inner portion of the skirt, the sewing being limited to a single line of stitching.

5. The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the connecting means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the lining and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and both parts of the slide fastener being visible and accessible at any time, and whether connected or disconnected, by turning up the lower end of the garment to expose the inside thereof.

6. The garment described in claim 5 characterized by the garment being a skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt.

7. A garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the inner portion having an upper region and a lower region, connecting means securing the upper region of said inner portion directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, the inner portion being pliant so that at least part of the lower region thereof can be moved upwardly to a raised position with respect to the upper region and outer portion so as to change the position of the fold and to displace the lowermost material of the outer portion inward around the fold so that the displaced material becomes part of the inner portion, and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened, and detachable fastening means connected with the lower region and with the garment above the raised position of the lower region for holding the lower region in the raised position, and characterized by the detachable fastening means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the inner portion and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and further characterized by the garment being a skirt and part of said inner portion constituting a lining of the skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side of the lining facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt, and

further characterized by the upper region of the lining being sewed to form a pleat of the lining extending around substantially the full circumference of the skirt on the side of the lining facing the wearer and at a distance above the lower side of the slide fastener, and the upper side of the slide fastener being sewed to the free edge of the pleat, the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being fully separable from one another but each having enough space between its opposite ends to provide clearance for a slider and for manipulation of the slider to align with and engage and disengage the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener, said clearance being nearer to one side of the skirt and in front of the right leg on a person wearing the skirt.

8. The garment described in claim 7 characterized by the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being spaced from one another, when the lower edge of the skirt is at its lowest position, by a distance equal to twice the intended adjustment of the skirt length, the skirt being part of a long-waisted dress, and the upper side of the slide fastener being at a level of the skirt below the region of continuous contact of the skirt with the hips and buttocks of the wearer.

9. The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the inner and outer portions of the garment being made of soft material that rolls smoothly over a fold and the material of both the inner and outer portions being straight cut. 

1. An adjustable length garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the garment having a lining secured to said inner portion and extending upward therefrom, a connection securing the lining directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, connecting means including two parts which are separable from one another and which will repeatedly re-engage with one another when again brought together, said parts including a first part of the connecting means that is continuously supported from an upper part of the lining on the side facing the wearer, and a second part of the connecting means that is continuously connected with said lining on the side facing the wearer, and supported in a position spaced downward below the first part of said connecting means when the garment is of maximum length, the material of the garment being pliant so that part of the lower end of the garment can bend inward and be moved upwardly when the second part of the connecting means is moved to a raised position and engaged with the first part of the connecting means with the part of the lining that was between the sEparated connecting means folded down between the outer portion and the rest of the lining whereby the lowermost material of the full length garment is folded inward and upward and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened.
 2. The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the garment being a skirt with the lower part of the inner portion a continuation around the fold of the same material as the outer portion.
 3. The garment described in claim 2 characterized by the lining material being more pliant than the material of the outer portion of the garment.
 4. The garment described in claim 2 characterized by the lining material being sewed to that part of the material of the outer portion that extends around the fold and that constitutes the the inner portion of the skirt, the sewing being limited to a single line of stitching.
 5. The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the connecting means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the lining and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and both parts of the slide fastener being visible and accessible at any time, and whether connected or disconnected, by turning up the lower end of the garment to expose the inside thereof.
 6. The garment described in claim 5 characterized by the garment being a skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt.
 7. A garment that hangs downwardly when worn including in combination a downwardly extending outer portion and an upwardly extending inner portion that meet with one another at a fold which constitutes a bottom edge of the garment, the inner portion having an upper region and a lower region, connecting means securing the upper region of said inner portion directly to an upper part of the garment to prevent downward movement of said inner portion with respect to the outer portion and thus determine a location of the fold, the inner portion being pliant so that at least part of the lower region thereof can be moved upwardly to a raised position with respect to the upper region and outer portion so as to change the position of the fold and to displace the lowermost material of the outer portion inward around the fold so that the displaced material becomes part of the inner portion, and the bottom edge of the garment is raised and the garment thereby shortened, and detachable fastening means connected with the lower region and with the garment above the raised position of the lower region for holding the lower region in the raised position, and characterized by the detachable fastening means constituting a slide fastener, one side of which is attached to the lower region of the inner portion and the other side of which is attached to the upper region, the length of the slide fastener extending generally parallel to the bottom edge of the garment, and further characterized by the garment being a skirt and part of said inner portion constituting a lining of the skirt, both parts of the slide fastener being sewed to the lining on the side of the lining facing the wearer and along lines spaced from one another lengthwise of the skirt, and further characterized by the upper region of the lining being sewed to form a pleat of the lining extending around substantially the full circumference of the skirt on the side of the lining facing the wearer and at a distance above the lower side of the slide fastener, and the upper side of the slide fastener being sewed to the free edge of the pleat, the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being fully separable from one another but each having enough space between its opposite ends to provide clearance for a slider and for manipulation of the slider to align with and engage and disengage the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener, said clearance being nearer to one side of the skirt and in front of the right leg on a person wearing the skirt.
 8. The garment described in claim 7 characterized by the upper and lower sides of the slide fastener being spaced from one another, when the lower edge of the skirt is at its lowest position, by a distance equal to twice the intended adjustment of the skirt length, the skirt being part of a long-waisted dress, and the upper side of the slide fastener being at a level of the skirt below the region of continuous contact of the skirt with the hips and buttocks of the wearer.
 9. The garment described in claim 1 characterized by the inner and outer portions of the garment being made of soft material that rolls smoothly over a fold and the material of both the inner and outer portions being straight cut. 